


Away Childish Things

by KagekaNecavi



Category: Marvel, Marvel 616, The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: Cap_Ironman Tiny Reverse Bang, De-Aged, De-Aged Tony Stark, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-07
Updated: 2016-08-07
Packaged: 2018-08-07 06:02:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7703338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KagekaNecavi/pseuds/KagekaNecavi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve and Rhodey fret over a de-aged Tony while he sleeps.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Away Childish Things

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is written for the [seventh round](http://capim-tinybang.tumblr.com/post/148194260462/title-long-day-artist-nim-lock-link-to-tumblr-x) of the [Cap-Iron Man Tiny Reverse Bang](http://capim-tinybang.tumblr.com/). The art can be seen by itself [here](http://66.media.tumblr.com/70b2abb4085588f246d79f9ac40b339c/tumblr_o8ufcwtRrK1uqoi07o1_500.jpg). I am blatantly ignoring the 616 canon I don't like, so no Civil War II and Hydra can suck it. The title was intended as a reference to the poem [Childhood is the Kingdom Where Nobody Dies](https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/childhood-kingdom-where-nobody-dies) by Edna St Vincent Millay, but after thinking about it I realized that I recognized the phrase from [1st Corinthians 13:11, New Living Translation](http://biblehub.com/1_corinthians/13-11.htm), as well. Thank you conservative upbringing. #sarcasm

There were a lot of things that happened that made Steve achingly aware of how fragile Tony could be. Most of them were nobody’s fault but the villain who did it, though sometimes it was actually Tony’s fault. Times when Tony was safe and had sacrificed himself. There had been that time in Mt Rushmore, when Tony had been safe and was going to make it through the crisis all right but decided to take the helmet off and expose himself to Red Skull’s biological weapon just to save Steve’s life. Then there was the time with the runaway armors when Steve had been fighting the Hulkbuster and Tony had taken it down by stopping his own damned heart. 

But this was somehow both better and worse. Tony was safe and secure in Steve’s arms, yes, but given that he was now in the body of a child he was so terrifyingly vulnerable.

This was all Doom’s fault. Steve knew he should have protested more when Tony started spending time with Doom, despite Doom’s assertions that he was reformed and Tony’s bizarre trust that Doom was telling the truth. Admittedly, though, Doom hadn’t done this directly or deliberately. They’d simply been out somewhere doing something - apparently Tony didn’t think magic was so bad now that Doom was showing it to him - and they’d run into a spell or an artifact or something that had reacted poorly with Tony, resulting in this.

He tipped his head back, gently running a hand up and down Tony’s back, mostly to soothe himself.

“How is he?” Rhodey asked quietly from the doorway, and Steve looked up.

“Sleeping. Has been for a while,” Steve said. Which was a strange prospect in and of itself. He was a little too old for naps, Steve thought, but he’d had an exciting day, between getting changed into a child and getting handed off from Doom to the Avengers, all while having no real idea who any of them were. Tony had remembered a little - he’d seemed most comfortable around Rhodey and Steve - but he didn’t remember anything specific beyond the age he’d now been changed to. It hadn’t helped that Edwin Jarvis - the one person that Tony as a child might actually recognize - wasn’t there at the moment, on vacation to help with a sick relative or something and no one was quite sure what his current phone number was. 

“Well, that makes our job a little easier.” Rhodey sat down near them, reaching out and gently laying a hand on Tony’s back. Tony made a soft noise and shifted in his sleep, but didn’t wake.

“It’s almost painful to see him like this, isn’t it?” Steve asked after a moment, looking down at Tony again.

“Yeah, almost. I know part of it has got to be because of the spell or artifact or whatever changed him, but there’s just something wrong about the fact that he seems fine hanging around with people who are essentially a bunch of strangers. His father has a lot to answer for,” Rhodey’s tone was angry, even though he kept his voice quiet enough not to wake Tony.

“Yes he does,” Steve agreed. “Hopefully someday we’ll both get a chance to punch him in the face. Given the way our lives are I wouldn’t rule it out, between time travel and people coming back from the dead.”

Rhodey laughed softly and nodded. “Right. Normally I would say I get first dibs, as best friend, but if you ever get your head out of your ass and ask him out I’d say you would, as boyfriend.”

“I - no,” Steve stammered, blushing, “There’s no way. Even if I did ask him, he wouldn’t say yes!”

“Of course he would, Steve. He’s head over heels for you, has been for years. When he’s an adult again you should talk. Both of you will end up happier for it, I guarantee it,” Rhodey said and Steve nodded slowly after a moment.

“Okay. I will. Speaking of, any news?”

“Just that Strange is back from whatever higher plane he was meditating on or vacationing on or whatever he does there and is helping try to find a cure. Neither he or Doom have found anything yet, though,” Rhodey said. Steve sighed, and they settled in to wait for word from Doom or Strange.

**Author's Note:**

> Comics referenced are [Red Zone](http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Avengers_Vol_3_70) and [Execute Program.](http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Iron_Man_Vol_4_12)


End file.
